Document dYNV9LLpjNpD591Q8Q7Kwbn39

JOHN F WEAVER,: PR.E.SIDEHT L*S*CASTER... f>. W . , F . H O V ET T ER . Vict PsBSJOEN T ' HAOpiseOo&'.'ip* . ' HARRIS BU RG , PE NNSYLVANIA March 19, 1947 J . G. FEINOUR. Se c o e ia iy HARRI SBURG. PA, J, E. RU TH ERFO R D .T r e a s u r e r HARRI SBURG. PA. yniversitv of Cincinnati Cincinnati 19, Ohio Attention or. Robert A. Xehoe lie: Claim 148030 .uear Loc oor enoe: vs Gt. John s Cemetery Go Inc. This will acknowledge receipt of your letter sated March 13, 1947- be have forwarded a copy to our attorney, Penrose Hert,;ler in order that he may attempt to secure reprints of tile articles in the ourriai of Industrial hygiene and Toxicology. l.s wish to thank you for the interest you have shown in this matter which is of considerable importance to us. cc: renrose n ertaler, Atty. ALL COMMUNICATIONS SHOULD BE ADDRESSED TO THE COMPANY AND NOT TO INDIVIDUALS g Q016394. March 13, Mr. F- V. Foor, Assistant Manager, Claim Department, Pennsylvania Threshermen and Farmers' Mutual Casualty Insurance Company, . 325 T-. Eighteenth Street, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Dear M r . Foor ' Your letter of March 1 addressed to Ethyl Corporation concerning VF. Irvin Veidenhtumner, has been referred to me. In addition I have received copies of the* exchange of correspondence be tureen yourself and Mr. T. A. Boyd 01 u-eneral Motors research Corporation. Inevitably, by virtue of the fact that I and my associates have been following up all cases of tills, type for the lust twenty years, matters of this kina eventually find their way to me. It seems vise, therefore* to maxe direct contact with you, end also to give you ctrrtuj.fi items of '..nrorma lion which you have net encountered, it appears, up to the present time. The investigative-work on the hygienic problems arising .from the dlatrioutioii and use of leaded gasoline has centered in this La bore tor;/. The., ini tial investigation of the U*.-S Public Health Service and of the Bureau of Mines adduced certain items of infor mation from which the potential hazards of the industry were predicted in some measure. Experimental work of later years together with field investigations of the lead exposure and absorption of group of men in the various occupations (filling station and re finery personnel, garage mechanics and the like), have served to show that the early prediction was well founded. In other words, it has been demonstrated clearly that lead exposure associated with the ordinary handling of leaded gasoline, and the handling of automobiles and engines is not significantly hazardous. The evidence for all of this is available In the published and unpublished work of this Laboratory, and such; information cant provided for the use of your legal people if and when it is required. The problem which would seem to be of principal Importance In the present case, is that of the hazards of exposure to exhaust gases. This is the problem of the garage mechanic?. the results of the Investigation of a large number of garage mechanics who have had the longest ex posure of this type, will be found in an article in the Journal of Industrial Hygiene and Toxicology, Volume 18, January 1936. The previous article which discusses this entire subject in considerable detail is to be found in the same journal, Volume 16, March 1934. KE 00163-95 Mr. E. V. Foor, - (2; - March 15* 194? Unfortunately reprints of these articles are not available at the present time, or I would be glad to send you copies. However, I am sure that your attorneys will be able to find files of this journal in any good general library* There is one additional conunent which should be made in relation to this case. It has been demonstrated clearly that the danger of exposure to exhaust gas, over any short period of time (several hours or several days) Is that of carbon monoxide poisoning. If an Individual 13 rendered 111 as a result of such exposure, his total lead exposure will be quite insignificant. (I am assuming, of course, that the fuel is leaded gasoline-} The only possible manner in which cne could absorb significant quantities of lead, would be under circumstances in which he was exposed regularly over a long period of time to exhaust gases containing the.maximum amount of lead, so diluted as to make it possible for him to sur- vive the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. Wo one ever believed at any time Lhat an Individual could be poisoned by the Inhalation of lead from this source within, a few hours. The problem was always that- of prolonged exposure to small quantities of lead every day. The work of the Bureau of Mines on this problem demon strated clearly, that if the exhaust gas was diluted with air to such an extent as to prevent acute carbon monoxide poisoning, then the concentration of lead came tS^inslgniileantin that it was in capable of accumulating In the tissues of exposed animals to any significant degree. This work on animals has been amply confirmed by the practical experience of the past twenty years. Therefore, in term? of the available evidence the claim made In this case Is absurd I shall be glad to assist you in any other way than by personal testimony in this case. Very truly yours, FM L ef Pobert A. Kehoe, M. D. KE 0016396